Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/296

234 May. having been finally accomplifhed by the joining of the boats, it pro- ved to be a very fafe and more capacious harbour than port Dilco- very; and rendered more pleafant by the high land being at a greater dillance from the water-fidc. Its foundings alfo give it a further ad- vantage, being very regular from fide to fide, from 10 to 20 fathoms depth of water, good holding ground: but, with refpeft to frcfii water, fo far as we could determine by our tranfitory vifit, it was very deficient, as has been already oblerved. To this port I gave the name of Po r t TowNSHKNn, in honor of the noble Marquis of that name.

Mr. Johndone, who had a much better opportunity than I had of feeing the above lake or inlet, reprefented it as appearing very extenfive and di- vided into two or three branches; but he had not been able to determine its communication either with the ocean or the main inlet, although he l)ad great reafon to believe it did communicate b} the way of the bluff point already mentioned; which about noon was confirmed. In our way thither, wq found on one of the low points projefting from the eaflern fhore, two upright poles fet in the ground, about fifteen feet high, and rudely carved. On the top of each was ftuck a human head, recently placed there. The hair and flefh were nearly perfeft; and the heads appeared to carry the evidence of fury or revenge, as, in driving the (takes through the throat to the cranium, the fagittal, with part of the fcalp, was borne on their points fome inches above the reft of the fkull. Between the ftakes a fire had been made, and near it fome calcined bones were obferved, but none of thefe appearances enabled us to fatisfy ourselves, concerning the manner in which the bodies had been difpofed of.

The fituation of this point is a little to the fouthward of the nar- row paffagc Mr. Johnftone had gone through; the north extremity of which is formed by a very long fimdy fpit, where feventeen of the long fiipportcd poles were feen like thofe before defcribed on New Dungencfs. Thefe poles had frequently prefented themfelves, though in lefs numbers than on the prefent occafion; but though thefe af- forded us an opportunity of examining them, they did not contribute the leaft inffrudion concerning the purpofe for which they were intended. They were uniformly placed in the center of the low fandy fpit, at the diflancc of about eighty yards from each other; and